New Philz Coffee location opens near campus

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READY FOR CAFFEINE: Philz Coffee cups sit stacked at their new Costa Mesa counter where customers order their drinks. All of the drinks on the menu come in either a regular or a large size, and their coffee beans are also sold in shop so that customers can enjoy Philz Coffee at home. “My favorite coffee is Jacob’s Wonder Bar (darker roast), and a really popular one the Tesora (medium roast),” social studies teacher Kaitlyn Reuter said.

HERBACEOUS COFFEE: Philz Coffee employee Brianne Davis prepares a
mint mojito for customers at the new Costa Mesa location. The mint
mojito is one of the restaurants best-selling drinks, with
a sweet and minty flavor.

MINTY FRESH: Philz
Coffee's popular mint mojito begins with fresh mint leaves, giving the drink an authentic mint flavor. "Whenever I have people visit me I always take them to Philz..." Reuter said. "It's really like a bonding experience."

Originally founded in San Francisco during 2003, Philz Coffee is a full service coffee bar that specializes in coffee, herbal teas and pastries. The chain has been expanding its scope of influence in Southern California and many new locations have been popping up in the local community. Over winter break, a new Philz opened across from South Coast Plaza on 3420 Bristol St in Costa Mesa; the new location is the third in Orange County, joining the two recently-opened storefronts in Huntington Beach and Fullerton.

Known for their rich and uniquely diverse flavors, Philz offers more than 20 coffee blends consisting of dark, medium and lighter roasts. With the option of a full service bar customers are given a unique one-on-one experience in which they may see their coffee being made fresh.

“We specialize in one cup at a time from three to seven different origins to make blends … We grind your beans and brew that fresh cup right there in front of you, we have a full service bar and will prepare the drink exactly as you desire, ” staff manager Will Silva said. “We ask you to try a sip before you leave just to make sure you love it; if not, we are more than happy to brew you something else.”

Many students like going to Philz for a quick drink of coffee after school, as the Costa Mesa location is 3 miles away.

“My experience with Philz has been great every time,” sophomore Jacqueline Kerr said. “The baristas are always friendly and you can customize your orders. My experience with Philz has been great every time. The atmosphere is laid-back and the lines tend to go by pretty fast.”

Founder Phil Jaber created Philz with the intention of producing a “great cup of coffee” that was fitting to everyone’s taste and low in acidity, according to the Philz Coffee website. As a result, Jaber dedicated 25 years of his life traveling the world to find inspiration and achieve this goal of his. After experimenting, Phil opened his coffee shop and made sure to not only create a quality product, but to also serve the community through kindness.

“From its very first day, Philz was about quality, care and warmth and connection. What sets Philz apart from other coffee chains begins with the way we treat people,” Silva said. “We believe that if we put our customers first and genuinely take care of our team putting love in the product and caring for the service, we can’t go wrong.”

In addition to their full-service bar and quality care, many people remain impressed by the fact that Philz only specializes in drip coffee and nothing else, which means they don’t serve espresso drinks. Social studies instructor Kaitlyn Reuter first tried Philz Coffee in 2015, when she was in the San Francisco Bay Area visiting a friend. Initially, Reuter was confused on how a coffee shop that just specializes in coffee could do so well, but after trying the coffee, she said that it was unlike anything she had ever tried before. She returned home with a bag of coffee, and even still today purchases their beans.

“The coffee itself I think is an experience; it’s something that I get excited about every single morning,” Reuter said. “I brew their beans at home and the texture [and] flavor just sets the tone for the rest of the day.”

Silva said that he believes Philz will make an impact in the community by welcoming everyone and sharing a pleasant environment in where people can catch up, drink tea, enjoy some food, have fun, relax and study.

“Making new friends, neighbors and hiring people from Orange County can impact the quality of life and so on…” Silva said. “Philz is not only coffee. It’s a cup of love.”